$1.00
S entinel
C ottage G rove
Est. 1889
PERSONAL | COMMERCIAL
BENEFITS | SURETY
(541) 942-0555
PayneWest.com/Cottage-Grove
SPORTS
The latest on Warriors softball B1
WED
72º/52º
Serving the communities of Cottage Grove, Drain, Yoncalla, Lorane, Dorena and Elkton
WEDNESDAY, MAY 30, 2018
FACEBOOK.COM/CGSENTINEL • TWITTER.COM/CGSENTINEL
For a complete six-
day forecast please
see page A5.
CGSENTINEL.COM
Filings
open for
mayor,
council
seats
Saginaw fire reduces
mill to cinders
By Caitlyn May
cmay@cgsentinel.com
PHOTOS BY ZACH SILVA/COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL
Fire crews continued to fight the blaze at Whitsell Manufacturing mill in Saginaw on Monday morning, with days of mop-up expected to continue.
Multiple agencies responded to an early-evening fire Sunday night that destroyed the
180,000-square-foot mill structure and nearly 46 acres of log piles
By Zach Silva
zsilva@cgsentinel.com
On Sunday evening, just before 7 p.m., the Whit-
sell Manufacturing mill in Saginaw caught fire, dam-
aging nearly 10 acres.
The blaze spanned an area of a quarter-mile, reach-
ing heights of more than 4,000 feet, continuing until
containment shortly after 10 p.m. The mill is host to
four businesses that work in conjunction and, ac-
cording to South Lane Fire Chief John Wooten, "they
are a complete loss.”
“We were here about 15 to 20 minutes when the
structure collapsed, the whole thing came in,” said
Wooten. “The fire had explosive growth. It was one
of the fastest growing fires that I’ve seen in my career.
It just engulfed the whole building.”
Firefighters from across Lane and Douglas County
tended to the blaze. More than 50 firefighters were on
scene with the assistance of 11 water tenders (fire ap-
paratus that transport thousands of gallons of water
each, along with eight fire engines and aerial support.
The height of the plume mixed with wind, causing
the fire to push to the other side of Highway 99 and
prompt a temporary closure before it was contained.
“I was actually starting a plan to evacuate all the
houses on the hillside. We were working with [Lane
County Sherriff ’s Office] on that,” said Wooten.
See FIRE A10
Cottage Village secures $100,000 grant
C
ottage Village is one step clos-
er to seeing construction on
its E. Madison Ave. proper-
ty after Cottage Village Coalition an-
nounced late last week that the project
received $100,000 in grant funds from
the Edwards Mother Earth Foundation.
The grant, the latest in an ongo-
ing fundraising effort, brings the total
amount donated or pledged for the
project to more than $500,000.
"Cottage Village Coalition contin-
ues to make steady progress towards
building 13 tiny houses in our effort to
prevent homelessness. This generous
donation from EMEF moves us closer
to achieving our goal," said Bruce Kelsh,
Cottage Village Coalition Committee
Chair.
Based in Washington, the EMEF is
a private family foundation that was
founded in 1997, “with a broad vi-
sion statement for a sustainable planet
COMMUNITY
Earth,” according to the organization’s
website. Its mission statement notes
the need to contribute to a sustainable
and diverse quality of life by addressing
global climate disruption.
Cottage Village, while not specifically
aimed at addressing climate change and
environmental concerns, will certainly
have a small carbon footprint. No more
than 300 square feet to be exact.
The project, which has been in the
works for more than a year, is part of
an ongoing effort to address affordable
housing in Cottage Grove. Cottage
Village Coalition joined forces with
Eugene-based nonprofit SquareOne
Villages to obtain a grant for $200,000
from the Meyer Memorial trust and
subsequently purchased 1.1 acres on E.
Madison Avenue to construct 13 tiny
houses. Under the terms of the grant,
the project must be completed by the
summer’s end. But according to Cottage
Village Coalition, that deadline may be
extended.
The project, estimated to cost just
BMD adds
kid zone
By Caitlyn May
cmay@cgsentinel.com
COURTESY SQUAREONE VILLAGES
DREAM HOME-A rendering of one of the models being considered for Cot-
tage Village.
over $1 million, has yet to submit plans
to the city or go through the planning
process.
It has, however, recently released de-
tails concerning possible renters and
HEALTH
Keeping Tradition
No stone unturned
The WOE is set to cele-
brate 86 years of tradition
South Lane Mental Health
sets positive messages in
stone. Literally. PAGE A7
PAGE A6
INDEX
By Caitlyn May
cmay@cgsentinel.com
Beginning today, Cottage
Grove residents who are
interested in running for
mayor or one of the four city
council seats in November can
get a candidate information
packet from city hall.
The position of mayor,
currently held by Jeff Gowing,
is not ward specific and is a
two-year term. Councilors up
for re-election in the fall hail
from wards one (Jake Boone),
three (Garland Burback) and
four (Greg Ervin). Councilor
at large, is also up for election.
Ervin replaced former
councilor Amy Slay who was
no longer eligible for her seat
after purchasing land outside
of the city limits in February
of this year. The council
advertised her position and
received one application
- Ervin’s. Because Ervin is
finishing out Slay’s term, he
must run for the position in
November’s general election.
To qualify as a candidate,
individuals must be a qualified
elector and must be a resident
of the city during the year
immediately preceding the
election.
The city council and mayor
positions are non-partisian
and the governing body is
responsible for passing city
ordinances, adopting the
city’s budget and overseesing
subcommittees as well as the
municipal court judge.
For more information,
contact the city manager’s
office at 541-942-5501.
COFFEE WITH THE EDITOR
Have a news tips? Want to talk about
community events? Have a question?
Stop by Backstage Bakery.
The LAST THURSDAY each
month from Noon to 1 p.m.
community structure.
According to SquareOne Villages,
See TINY A9
Calendar ...................................... B12
Channel Guide ............................... B5
Classifieds ...................................... B7
Obituaries ...................................... A2
Opinion ......................................... A4
Sports ............................................ B1
Bohemia Mining Days is
set to inch closer to its 60th
year this summer. But before
it does, organizers are adding
a new facet to the festival that
will see more changes this
year than it has in the last 10.
Competing with county
fairs around the state this
year, BMD will host a kids’
zone designed to offer activ-
ities and learning opportuni-
ties for children. Before it can
welcome new residents to the
7,000 square-foot kids’ zone,
See BMD A11
cgnews@cgsentinel.com
(541) 942-3325 ph • (541) 942-3328 fax
P.O. Box 35, Cottage Grove, OR 97424
Corner of Sixth and Whiteaker, Cottage Grove
_______________
VOLUME 130 • NUMBER 34
Rain Country Realty Inc.
RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL
PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
Licensed in the
State of Oregon
RainCountryRealty.com • raincountryrealty@gmail.com
1320 Hwy 99 • 541-942-7246